Shipping container for phonograph record



g- 4, 1970 E. UTTERBACK, JR 3,522,907

SHIPPING CONTAINER FOR PHONOGRAPH RECORD Filed Oct. 7, 1968 INVENTOR. EDGAR UTTERBACK, JR.

I0 BY F/G. 3 WMJ M his ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,522,907 SHIPPING CONTAINER FOR PHONOGRAPH RECORD Edgar Utterback, Jr., Terre Haute, Ind., assignor to Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 7, 1968, Ser. No. 765,445 Int. Cl. B65d 27/00, 5/54, 5/46 US. Cl. 229-68 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to improvements in containers for phonograph records and particularly to shipping or mailing containers therefor. Because a substantial portion of phonograph record sales are made by mail, it is necessary to provide suitable containers to protect the individual records from damage during shipment. To achieve this purpose such a container must combine a variety of attributes. Mailing costs make it absolutely essential that weight be kept at a minimum. The very real possibility that rough handling will occur during shipment requires that the container be reasonably strong and durable. It is also desirable that the container be capable of being easily opened by the purchaser in such a way as not to damage the record or destroy the later utility of the container for storage. Lastly, and most importantly, the container must be one that can be easily and cheaply made.

The mail-order sale of records through what are commonly known as record clubs is by no means new, and a variety of containers have been utilized heretofore for shipping purposes. The design of these containers has proved deficient for a number of reasons. Often, opening the container-whether by Postal Inspectors or by the purchaser-involved the virtual destruction of the container and thus destroyed its utility for further mailing or storage. Prior designs were also unsatisfactory in that the proper method for their opening was not always clear to the purchaser. Moreover, in trying to force apart the glued seams of the container, it was possible for one to damage the record contained therein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION There is provided, in accordance with the present invention, a shipping container for phonograph records which is light in weight, of reasonable strength, easily and cheaply made, and easily opened by the purchaser. More particularly, the invention comprises a shipping container formed from a single cardboard blank folded to form a bottom wall and at least one top wall flap which may be secured to side strips formed integrally with the bottom wall. One of the top wall fiaps is weakened along a line so that the flap may be easily torn to provide an access opening in the container through which a record may be removed. A second weakened portion may be provided adjacent to the weakened line and adapted to be pushed away to form a thumb hole to enable a thumb or finger to be inserted beneath the line to begin the tear. The weakened line and thumb hole are quite conspicuous to a person handling the container, thus making the method of opening readily apparent.

Because the record container can be made from a single cardboard blank, cut and perforated at the proper points, ease and economy of manufacture are achieved. Also, since the invention embodies both the light weight and the strength of cardboard, it is well adapted to use in mailing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be made to the following description of an exemplary embodiment, taken in conjunction with the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank ready to be folded and marginally united to form a shipping container;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a completed container opened for the removal of a record;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As best seen in FIG. 1, a typical record container according to the invention comprises a single cardboard blank so cut and perforated that it may be folded to form a bottom wall 10, two top wall flaps 11, 12 which may be secured in any suitable manner to side strips 18 formed integrally with the bottom wall. The top wall flap 12 is weakened by perforations 13 along an essentially semicircular line defining a flap portion 14. A second arcuate weakened portion 15 formed by perforations 16 is provided adjacent to the semicircular line so that it may be pushed away to form a thumb hole to enable a thumb or finger to be inserted beneath the semicircular line to begin the tear. The bottom wall 10 is also provided with side flaps 18 which are adapted to be folded inwardly to form side walls for the container.

As shown in FIG. 2, the container is formed by placing a record on the bottom wall 10, folding in the side flaps 18 and the top wall fiaps 11 and 12, securing the latter to the side flaps 18 in any suitable manner as by strips 19 and 20 of adhesive material at the side edges of the top wall flaps 11 and 12. It will be appreciated that the side strips 18 sufiiciently separate the back wall 10 from the top wall flaps 11, 12 to provide a space for a phonograph record.

The above described embodiment of the invention is intended to be merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art will be able to make modifications and variations of it without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the line formed by the perforations 13 may be altered, the relative sizes of top flaps 11 and 12 may be changed so that one is larger than the other, or one of the top wall flaps may be eliminated in favor of a single flap comprising the top wall of the container. Similarly, the weakened portion 15 could be replaced with a tab or other means for beginning the tear. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A shipping container for phonograph records comprising a unitary elongated rectangular blank of cardboard material folded along first and second lines transversely of its longitudinal axis to form a bottom wall and two top flaps each overlying a portion of said bottom wall, and said bottom wall having side flaps along the side edges thereof inwardly folded to lie intermediate said bottom wall and said top fiaps, said side flaps being adhesively secured to said top flaps, one of said top wall flaps being weakened along an essentially semicircular line of which one of said transverse lines is the diameter, said one top flap when torn along said semicircular line, forming a flap portion which is hingedly movable about said transa 3 verse line to provide an access opening in the container for removal of a record.

2. A shipping container for phonograph records according to claim 1 wherein means are provided to facilitate the starting of the tear along the weakened line.

3. A shipping container for phonograph records according to claim 1 wherein a second weakened portion is provided adjacent to the tear line and is adapted to be pushed away to form a thumb hole to enable a thumb or finger to be inserted beneath the semi-circular line to begin the tear.

4. A shipping container for phonograph records according to claim 1 wherein said top wall flaps are of substantially equal length and, when folded over said bottom wall, meet along a line parallel to and midway between said transverse fold lines.

5. A shipping container for phonograph records according to claim 1 wherein said top wall flaps are of such 4 length, respectively, that when folded over said bottom wall, they completely overlie said bottom wall and do not overlie each other.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS J. M. CASKIE, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. XlR. 229-51; 206-62 

